The Monday Market and the Gernika Jai Alai | Basque Tradition and Culture
A MONDAY IN GERNIKA
One of the few traditional markets in the Basque Country
Until the mid-20th century, Gernika’s weekly Monday market was held outdoors, as there was no enclosed space to house it. After the bombing of the town in 1937 and during the subsequent reconstruction, the Directorate of Devastated Regions and Repairs planned an enclosed market area, which was completed in 1943.
In the late 1980s, seeing the state of the building (deteriorated by time and the low-quality materials used), the City Council decided to demolish it and build a new one. This new market opened in 1991 and continues to operate to this day.
The Monday Market: A Social Meeting Point
Every Monday, buyers and sellers of agricultural products from all over the Busturialdea region gather at the Gernika market. This market can be defined as a meeting point for the inhabitants, fulfilling its social function as it did decades ago, when people didn’t have as many means of transportation. Mondays were used not only for buying and selling, but also for socializing.
It is one of the few traditional markets still held in the Basque Country, and on that day, a colorful and cheerful atmosphere prevails, culminating in the cesta punta matches at the Jai-Alai Fronton. As the old saying goes: “lunes gernikes, kolperik ez” – “on Mondays in Gernika, not a single blow is struck.”
The motto of the Monday market is “Baserritik Plazara,” meaning from the farmhouse to the square. This limits sales to producers with their own farms, preventing resellers.
The Figure of the “Regatera”
Some producers can’t go down to the market. The “regatera” goes to these farmhouses and buys their surplus produce, which she then sells in the town square. This ensures the maintenance and care of the local landscape, which would otherwise be full of withered gardens and wasted produce. The true gardeners of Urdaibai are the farmers themselves.
The Monday market hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., although the closing time depends on sales that day. Without a doubt, Monday is the best day of the week to visit Gernika and experience a typical Gernika Monday.
After-School Tradition: In the evening, after the market, the tradition is to go to the Jai-Alai Fronton.
Gernika Jai Alai: “Catedral de la Cesta”
Gernika Jai Alai: “Catedral de la Cesta”
The overwhelming success of cesta punta in Durango led to the construction of a majestic fronton in Gernika, which was inaugurated in June 1963. The Gernika Jai Alai was designed by the prestigious architect Secundino Zuazo in a rectangular shape with two levels.
The Gernika Jai Alai fronton boasts the largest court in Europe and the second largest in the world, making it an international benchmark for the sport of cesta punta.
This sport is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest ball sport in the world. In some throws, the ball can reach speeds of 300 km/h.
Enjoy Jai Alai in Gernika
If you want to experience the excitement of this unique sport, you can find information and contact Gernika Jai Alai:
Email: info@gernikajaialai.com
Phone: +34 658 750 627
You can also buy tickets for the season’s events, such as the Jai Alai Winter Series, through this link.
Cesta Punta Demonstrations
Jai Alai is more than a sport: it’s a celebration. The fastest sport in the world comes alive in one of the largest active jai alai courts on the planet. A unique opportunity to experience the power, technique, and excitement of cesta punta live.
